Life and things

Life has just been chugging along lately. Nothing too exciting has been happening here lately. Unless you count a case of pink eye and severe constipation exciting. Poor little Eva has just gotten over a nasty case of both.

Friday night I kicked the husband and the kids out of the house for an evening and had the ladies over for a Passion Party. We drank a lot of wine and talked sex all evening long. It was the most fun I've had in a really long time! I think everyone was a little nervous at first, not really knowing what to expect but after the 2nd glass of wine most inhibitions went out the door. I highly recommend hosting a party. It really was a blast! There is nothing like spending the evening with your best girls over a bottle (or two, or three or...) of wine and some sex toys ;)

Today was spent looking at new carpeting. We've (I really mean "I" but Tom has no say in this since he's not the one who has to keep it clean looking) decided to put all new flooring in the house. I don't know who thought it was a good idea to use all white flooring in a house that was meant to be occupied by families but they should be strung up by their toes and beat with a wooden spoon. Since the original builder put standard grade flooring in, to say it looks like shit 12 years later is an understatement and keeping it looking clean has been backbreaking. I know I've mentioned that before but it really deserves another paragraph.

So, anyhow...this spring we WILL get new carpeting, new kitchen flooring and a deck. I don't want to spend my summer worrying that my kids will fall out of the 2nd story door.

Who owns a house for 12 years and never installs a deck? This deserves a blog of it's own.

On another remodeling note, I finally "finished" the main floor bath. It won't officially be finished until we can afford a new toilet and pedestal sink but that's at least 15 years away so we will revisit at that time. For now you will have to use your imagination as my camera is charging. It looks awesome though if I do say so myself. It only took 4 coats of paint, a layer of primer and a return trip to Lowes and a visit by a plumber because my husband nearly flooded the basement installing a new faucet. But you didn't hear that from me.

We also got the wallpaper off the kitchen walls and a fresh coat of paint applied as well as new cabinetry hardware. I like to refer to it as my "lipstick on a pig" kitchen because a) the ugly floors and b) the cabinets that are in desperate need of a jackhammer.

So, that's what's been going on here. Eva is FINALLY starting to say some words. She says mommy, daddy, doggie, cookie, duck, up, hot and ouch. She can also point to her belly, ears, nose and eyes. And her butt. I really wish she would stop growing up :(

Declan is growing into a little boy. And by boy, I mean ALL BOY. He loves his cars, trucks, tools and penis. Those of you who have boys know what I mean. I am ill-equipped to handle this stage of boyhood. He is about to finish his first year of preschool. I just cannot believe how much he has changed in the past year. I know my days of having him all to myself are numbered so I have been trying my hardest to enjoy every second. He's been very cuddly lately and I dread the day he no longer lets me just lay under a blanket on the couch with him.

I Was in Miami Trick

This past few weeks have been super hectic. I'm almost glad we got another 20" of snow simply because I was able to have some real, forced downtime!

Last weekend I actually got to go on a REAL vacation ALL. BY. MYSELF! I headed to Miami for a weekend of sun, booze, and rest (I got one out of the three!) and to visit with my bestie Mandy, who currently lives there. My flight landed at noon on Friday. Mandy picked me up from the airport, with a cooler of beer, and we headed straight to the beach! Unfortunately, the sun didn't seem to want to cooperate so it was cloudy and it made absolutely no difference to me. It was still about 70 degrees warmer than it had been in MN. I really wish I could spend every afternoon laying at the beach, with a Corona. I need to make that happen. Friday night we were too tired to party so we cracked a bottle of wine and spent the evening with pizza on the 44th floor lanai overlooking Miami Bay.

Saturday we hit the outdoor mall for shopping and mojitos. Drunk shopping! I found a super cute summer purse and some hot pink chucks for Eva. The weather was cool, cloudy and windy so it wasn't a good day for the beach. Bummer. But that evening we made reservations for Mr. Chows so it was time to get dressed up (I even wore heels!) and hit the town. The only catch was, we couldn't get seated until 11:30 which made perfect sense when we were in "party mode" at 7 pm and just enjoying the buzz from the 2nd glass of wine, but became a very bad idea once 10 pm hit. By the time we got to the restaurant we were famished and three sheets to the wind. Which actually saved us some money since a house glass of Sauvignon was $25. And here were my lessons for the evening.

1) Fancy chinese restaurants do not serve breadsticks. You will be pointed and laughed at by the pretentious wait staff for being too common to understand this.

2) You do not have to pay $400 for a good chinese meal. I have had better food at P.F. Changs. Pretentious people are not privy to this. Let's keep it between us commoners.

3) At the ripe, old age of 36 I can no longer begin my Saturday morning with mimosas and expect to end my day drinking wine. Especially in 3" heels. It's one or the other.

So, by Sunday morning I was beginning to "shake". Literally, my body was shaking. I can only take so much alcohol and I was determined to fight this tooth and nail. So, it was either start the morning with a beer to stave off the hangover, or have some water and just deal with it. We chose the former and cracked open a Corona. It turned out to be a beautfiul day so we headed to South Beach where the best people watching in the America's is. Even better than the MOA or MN State Fair. We spent the afternoon sunning and then headed over to Wet Willies on the strip for Pina Coladas, beer, daiquiris and chicken wings (because nothing says bikini like 1200 calorie drinks and fried chicken). We then headed out for more shopping before returning back to Mandy's fabulous pad. By this time we were both too tired to do much of anything, but we pulled up our bootstraps for one last hurrah, since Monday was departure day, and headed out for some margaritas and mexican food.

Sadly, it was time to go by Monday. The weekend went by in a flash and next time I get away, it will be for more than a short weekend. Even though I'm sure my liver would disagree. A few days to spend with Mandy having great times and great conversation was exactly what my soul needed and it was so nice to be able to take off my "wife" and "mom" hats for a few days and just be "Andrea". Can't wait till next time!

Thirteen Questions

Name one thing you'd like to change about yourself.
I wish I had more ambition. I’m pretty content staying home with the kids and don’t care if I never work another day in my life. I wish I was the kind of person that had the goal of achieving a great career and financial success but I’m not. I just wish that for Thomas ;)

2. If you could wave a magic wand and be done with all the small petty nuisances in your life, what you would have "be gone" first.

The laundry. No question there.

3. Do you collect and save your spare change in a jar?

Yes! This is how I plan to pay for my European holiday. At the rate I’m saving I should be able to go in about 65 years.

4. Change your world. What is our biggest concern as a global citizen?

In no particular order......
Global poverty, the environment and Sarah Palin ;)

5. What would you have changed about your last relationship or the one you're in now?

My last relationship sucked and I was more than happy to kick him to the curb. The only thing I would have changed about it is dumping him 3 years before I actually got around to it.

6. If you could reverse the course of history in a time machine, what would you do and how do you think the world would be different today?
This is a tough one. I’ve been pondering it for 24 hours now. I wouldn’t mind meeting Jesus, because I have a few questions for him but I don’t know that that would change history in anyway. I’ll just go ahead and say that I’d go back to college and get a nursing degree instead so that I’d actually have something that could earn me a decent salary.

7. Who would you like to change into a toad?

Sometimes my husband but mostly Sarah Palin. Or maybe Snooki?

8. What is the first thing you change into when you get home from work?

Work? Ha ha ha. I am always in fat pants unless I leave the house.

9. If you could change places with anyone in the world for one day, who would that be?

Probably one of the “Real Housewives”. I know that sounds shallow, but wouldn’t it be fun to spend one whole day being disgustingly wealthy and selfish? Yes please.

10. Have you ever heard the expression "turn over a new leaf?" What is under your old one?

Probably a girl who spends too much time on the interwebs and not enough time on the floor playing with her kids. Though I am working on that, the leaf hasn’t officially flipped yet.

11. Name one thing that can cause you to immediately change your mood.

The check engine light blinking at me. And that feeling you get when you finally realize that both your children are, indeed, fast asleep and it’s time to crack open that bottle of wine.

12. What have you recently (or ever) had a change of heart about? And why?

I recently decided that I no longer give a shit if I don’t lose 8 lbs by the time I leave for Florida. This is why God gave us the gift of sundresses and loose, flowy tank tops. Amen.

13. When is the last time you changed the oil in your car?

I did not get married so that I would have to change the oil in the car.